We have been impressed by Noctua's CPU coolers and related products since we first got our hands on some back in 2006. Since then they have continued to offer products that keep each new generation of processor running cool in near silence. While many of the coolers follow the popular heatpipe tower design, the product provided for this review takes an entirely different approach.

The NH-L12 heatpipe CPU cooler is shown in the promotional image above, and the first thing you may notice is that instead of a tower orientation with the fan(s) standing upright, they are in a horizontal position. This allows the cooler to have a lower overall height, key since they are marketing this as a low profile cooler. You may also notice two fans installed on the cooler, and if possible, you can run without the top 120mm fan, and use only the lower 92mm fan for an even lower overall height (taking it from 93mm down to 66mm).

Before taking a closer look at the NH-L12 provided for review, let's cover some of the published data provided on the official product page on the Noctua website...

Extra-low profile in 92mm single-fan mode - The NH-L12 can be used with the NF-B9 92mm fan only in order to reduce the overall height to 66mm. This way, the cooler is suitable for many typical µATX or Mini-ITX enclosures and ideal for whisper-quiet HTPC systems.

PWM support and Low-Noise Adaptors - The NH-L12's NF-F12 and NF-B9 fans support PWM for convenient automatic speed control. In addition, the maximum fan speed can be reduced to 1200/1300rpm using the supplied Low-Noise Adaptors for even quieter operation.

Mini-ITX mounting without backplate - Some Intel based Mini-ITX mainboards don't allow for the installation of backplates. The NH-L12 thus comes with an extra set of Intel mounting bolts which make it possible to install the cooler without using the SecuFirm2™ backplate.